KALAMAZOO — The race for the state Senate’s 20th District entered the final stretch Thursday as Republican Tonya Schuitmaker and newly nominated Democrat Bobby Hopewell hit the campaign trail for the first time since the death Sunday of Robert B. Jones.

“I’m pounding the pavement every day and from here on out,” said Schuitmaker, who had suspended her door-to-door canvassing after Jones died.

For six hours Thursday, she and a campaign aide visited hundreds of homes, leaving materials at residences and speaking to voters.

With only 12 days before the Nov. 2 election, Hopewell held his first meeting with campaign volunteers. More than 100 showed up for the gathering at the Northside Association for Community Development.

“Yes it is 12 days, yes it is unprecedented and yes it is a struggle,” said Hopewell, who was appointed Tuesday evening by local Democrats to replace Jones on the ballot. “But this is what we’ve got and we will do all we can with what we’ve got.”

Jones, a state representative from Kalamazoo, died after battling cancer for more than a year and a half.

Although he had been ill, Jones had been campaigning up until the day he died unexpectedly after attending a morning church service.